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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 



1934 



To the Trustees of Field Museum of Natural History: 



I have the honor to present a report of the operations of the 

 Museum for the year ending December 31, 1934. 



The preparation of an operating budget for the year 1934, as 

 for the two previous j^ears, was most difficult, for the reason that a 

 further decline in income from endowments, contributions, member- 

 ships, and tax collections was anticipated, and likewise a very 

 marked decrease in revenue from paid admissions was expected. 

 Consequently the budget adopted was again substantially reduced, 

 and no expeditions or purchases of collections were provided for 

 except where made possible by contributions for specific new re- 

 search received during the year. 



As anticipated, income from endowments and tax collections was 

 less than in 1933; income from contributions was very much smaller; 

 and, while the downward trend in income from memberships was 

 greatly retarded, there was nevertheless a reduction of receipts from 

 that source. Revenues from admissions and sundry receipts, which 

 in 1933 were far above average, decreased in 1934 as a natural result 

 of the smaller number of visitors, especially those from out of town, 

 to A Century of Progress exposition in its second year. By rigid 

 economies the Museum succeeded in keeping actual expenditures 

 well within budget appropriations and was enabled without further 

 reduction in salaries or personnel to cover its essential operating 

 expenses, and to reduce notes payable caused by previous j^ears' 

 deficits from $105,000 to $95,000 (see financial statement, page 237). 



Insofar as those activities directly connected with serving the 

 public are concerned, the Museum, despite the severe economies 

 which had to be instituted, managed to maintain its customary 

 standards. The number of visitors received at the Museum was 

 1,991,469, which, while it represents a large decline from the attend- 

 ance of 3,269,390 recorded in 1933, was nevertheless the second 

 highest year's attendance in the history of the institution. The 

 decline from the 1933 peak was a natural and expected consequence 

 of the smaller attendance experienced by A Century of Progress. 



Taking into consideration extra-mural activities, the Museum's 

 educational influence was carried directly to a total of more than 

 2,650,000 persons during 1934. This figure includes the visitors 



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